Reducing food loss and waste: Getting wholesome food to people who need it Elise Golan Director of Sustainable Development Office of the Chief Economist U.S. Department of Agriculture How will we feed 2 billion more people while preserving our natural resources? Focus on reducing food waste “Of all of the options for boosting food availability, tackling waste would be one of the most effective.” Jonathan Foley, National Geographic, May 2014 Why focus on food loss and waste? 1. The amounts are staggering . The FAO estimates that globally, approximately one-third or 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted annually . USDA estimates that in the United States, food loss and waste at the retail and consumer levels was 31% of the food supply in 2010 »133 billion pounds of food »162 billion dollars Why focus on food loss and waste? 2. People need the wasted food - now . Wholesome food that is wasted could help feed people in need . Feeding America, a hunger-relief charity, estimates that there are billions of pounds of potentially usable food loss in the U.S. food supply chain » 48 billion pounds pre-distribution » 22 billion pounds in local markets Why focus on food loss and waste? 3. Wasted resources . All of the resources that go into producing wasted food – including the land, labor, water, pesticides, and fertilizers – could have been saved or gone to uses of higher value to society » 44 Sears Towers of food loss and waste » A mega city of natural resources wasted Why focus on food loss and waste? 4. Climate change . EPA estimates that in the United States: » Food is the single largest component of municipal solid waste going to landfills » Food waste generates methane, a greenhouse gas 21 times more potent than carbon dioxide » Landfills are the third largest source of methane in the U.S. U.S. Goal: Cut food loss and waste in half by 2030 In September 2015, USDA joined with EPA to announce the United States' first-ever national food waste reduction goal, calling for a 50-percent reduction by 2030 Focus on the hierarchy USDA’s Activities Getting Wholesome Food to People . Gleaning . Value-added products . Dating guidance . Donation regs . Challenge Credit: uglyfruitandvegviatwitter Challenges EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge (2010) . Businesses share information on amount of waste reduced, recovered or recycled – and have access to EPA technical assistance to measure waste reduction U.S. Food Waste Challenge (2013) . Businesses share information on their activities to reduce, recover and recycle food loss and waste in their operations U.S. Food Loss and Waste 2030 Champions (2016) . Businesses that have made a public commitment to reduce food loss and waste in their own operations in the United States by 50 percent by the year 2030 USDA’s Activities Educating Consumers In developed economies, consumers are responsible for most of the wasted food . USDA estimates that in the United States, 21 percent of the food supply is wasted at the consumer level We will only meet our food loss and waste reduction goal if consumers change the way they value and manage food Harnessing consumers and communities At home and in restaurants . EPA’s Food Too Good to Waste . Foodkeeper App Harnessing consumers and communities At home and in restaurants . Let’s Talk Trash (MyPlate.gov) For more information Google “US Food Waste Challenge” http://www.usda.gov/oce/foodwaste Find and share information on this website about proven solutions and innovative new approaches to reducing food loss and waste. By joining together and learning from one another we can reach our national goal of cutting food loss and waste in the United States in half by 2030. https://furtherwithfood.org/ .